Toy structural member roller

Abstract

A toy for rolling flexible material into structural members which may be assembled into any of a number of desired structures. The apparatus includes a base having bearing means formed on either end to support a tube assembly over which structural members are formed. One of the bearings is moveably mounted on the base and includes an enlarged opening to allow formed tubular structural members to be easily removed from the tube assembly. The tube assembly is comprised of inner and outer tubes rotatable with respect to each other and having elongated slots formed therein which are alignable in one position to allow flexible material to be inserted therein and gripped to facilitate the formation of a tubular structural member.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. Apparatus adapted to form tubular structural members by rolling flexible sheets of material; said apparatus comprising a base; first and second bearing members held within said base;   a tube assembly having two ends rotatably supported at its ends in said bearing members, and including a pair of elongated, hollow inner and outer tubes having slots formed therein and means limiting the relative rotation of said inner and outer tubes;   a crank connected to one of said elongated hollow tubes for rotation of said tube assembly;   ratchet means connected to said other of said elongated hollow tubes for rotation therewith;   a pusher element slidably mounted on said elongated hollow outer tube;   a ratchet spring pivotedly mounted on said base and including stop means coacting with a slot formed in said ratchet means for limiting rotation of said crank in one direction while allowing said crank to be freely rotatable in the outer direction;   a tension bar pivotably mounted on said base and coacting therewith so as to provide pressure against flexible material passing over said base and being wound around said outer tube upon turning of said crank in said other direction; and   said bearing member holding the end of said outer tube distant from said crank being moveably mounted on said base whereby said bearing member may be moved to align an enlarged opening formed therein with a tubular structural member formed on said tube assembly to enable said formed tubular structural member to be removed therefrom by action of said pusher sliding along the length of said outer tube from a position adjacent to said crank toward said opening in said pivotable bearing member.   
     
     
       2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said slot in said ratchet means coacts with said stop means to allow said ratchet means to be turned approximately 20 degrees when said crank handle is turned in the counter-clockwise direction whereby said slots in said tubes are aligned; and said ratchet spring and stop means allow said ratchet means to be freely turned by said crank when turning in a clockwise direction to first allow said slots in said tubes to clamp the leading edge of said flexible material held therein and to then roll said flexible material around said tube assembly to form said tubular structural member.   
     
     
       3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said moveable bearing means includes a semi-circular portion which coacts with a corresponding semi-circular portion formed integrally with said base when said moveable bearing means is in the closed position, to rotatably support said tube assembly within said moveable bearing means. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said crank is fixedly connected to said inner elongated hollow tube whereby, upon rotation of said crank, said inner elongated hollow tube will be rotated therewith, and wherein said ratchet means is fixedly connected to said outer elongated hollow tube for rotation therewith. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said crank is fixedly connected to said inner elongated hollow tube for rotation of said inner elongated hollow tube therewith, and said ratchet means is fixedly connected to said outer elongated hollow tube. 
     
     
       6. Apparatus to form tubular structural members from flexible material, comprising in combination: a base;   first and second bearing members held within said base;   a tube assembly having two ends rotatably supported at its ends in said bearing members, and including a pair of elongated, hollow inner and outer tubes having slots formed therein and means limiting the relative rotation of said inner and outer tubes;   a crank connected to said elongated, hollow inner tube for rotation of said elongated, hollow inner tube, and said tube assembly;   a ratchet connected to said elongated, hollow outer tube for rotation therewith;   a pusher element slidably mounted on said elongated, hollow outer tube;   a ratchet spring means pivotedly mounted on said base and cooperating with said ratchet for limiting rotation of said tube assembly in one direction while allowing said tube assembly to be freely rotatable in the other direction; and   a tension means mounted on said base to coact with said flexible material as it is passing over said base and being wound around said outer tube.